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Butler 2 Fire - Night And Rocks Fall

By News Staff Member
Sunday, September 16, 2007

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As night falls and the air resources head back to their bases for a well-deserved rest, the scanners also die down. This evening, firefighters travelling along the highway were on alert for falling rocks. A strike team of crews were patrolling highway 18 between the two divisions.

The Community Meeting was held Big Bear at the Performing Arts Center at 7:00 PM. In a RIMOFTHEWORLD.net discussion thread, Matt92315 wrote, "The meeting at the PAC in BB tonight was packed. In fact, people were outside as well as sitting in the aisles and just about everywhere else." The same facts were presented at this briefing as were given at the Running Springs Community Meeting earlier today. Firefighters are "concentrating on the flank threatening Fawnskin."

According to the report from Matt92315, on Saturday, the DC-10 dropped nearly 100,000 gallons of retardant on the fire. "The contractor who owns the jumbo jet is scheduled to have two more of the same in service by next summer."

At 4:00 PM this evening, concerned citizens filled the Hootman Center in Running Springs for a briefing from fire officials regarding the Butler 2 Fire.

Progression map presented at the meeting at Hootman Center. (Photo by VickiW.)

The fire statistics were given: 15,433 acres, 12% containment. When asked about the possibility of additional evacuations for the communities west of and including Green Valley Lake, firefighters stated that at this point there is "minimal threat to Green Valley Lake" and minimal chance of additional evacuations on the western flank of the fire. "Of course Mother Nature will do what she wants", but the expectation for the next 24 hours is that it will continue to move Northeast.

Winds tonight are expected to be out of the west. Lighter winds, cooler temperatures and higher humidity will assist firefighters in their containment efforts.

During the meeting, officials stated that the fire was within a quarter of a mile of Fawnskin. At 7:00 pm, there were reports of flare-ups near the Big Bear Dam.

A Wall Of Fire (Photo by Daniel Elliott San Bernardino County Fire.)

Air support returned to their respective bases for the night with one pilot saying, "We're going to turn into a pumpkin and white mice if we don't head back to base." Firefighters on the ground thanked them. "You did an outstanding job out there today. Pass it along to all your partners. Thanks again and be safe."

Bear Valley School District decided that due to the evacuations in Fawnskin that they would close the schools tomorrow. Rim of the World Unified School District is contacting parents via recorded telephone messages informing them that school will be in session tomorrow.

Dipping into Green Valley Lake. (Photo by above7000.)

School busses will be allowed through the checkpoint area at SR18/SR330. This checkpoint is necessary in order to turn big rigs, tour busses, and high profile vehicles around that may be trying to go towards Big Bear as SR18 is closed to all traffic, except emergency vehicles, at Green Valley Lake Road to Big Bear Dam.

The cause of the fire is still unknown. An investigation is ongoing. There is no estimated date of containment.

Fire Burns in Forest (Photo by Daniel Elliott San Bernardino County Fire.)

The southern edge of the fire is only about 200 yards from Highway 18 with a few active hot spots. Another flare up is visible about one mile east of Butler Peak Fire Lookout. Helicopters are making drops along the ridges near the lookout — which is still standing.

Flare up on the South flank of the Butler Fire about 200 yards north of Hwy 18 on the Arctic Circle (Photo by Dave Henderson.)

The fire activity has diminished significantly along the Green Valley Lake side. However, the eastern flank in a different story. Firefighters working in Division W, X, Y, and Z on the northern and eastern flanks of the fire were ordered to their safety zones around 3 pm. There was no imminent threat to those firefighters, according to fire operations, but the fire was running the risk of outflanking the firefighting efforts. By 3:35 pm, all firefighters were accounted for. The fire is behaving very erratically, with one firefighter exclaiming, "this thing's gonna go s—t any second here, and we're gonna have a problem. I need air support now."

Smoke pours northward out of the mountains into the Lucerne Valley near Highway 247 and Lincoln Road (Photo by Jim Brown.)

Shortly after noon, the flames made a move toward the Fawnskin area. Fire Operations moved additional resources into the area which became a priority for Air Operations. The fire is reportedly near a trigger point along Forest Service Road 3N16. Firefighters deployed resources for possible structure protection. Earlier in the day there were reports of spot fires ahead of the main fire in the Lucerne Valley.

The strong southerly winds will abate slightly tonight and Monday, according to the National Weather Service, when winds are expected to shift from the west. A cold front, however, is expected to move through the area Monday night, bringing gusty northerly winds. The shifting winds will likely frustrate firefighting efforts as resources may need to continually be adjusted. A chance of rain, and possibly snow above 8,000 feet, is in the forecast for later in the week.

According to Air Operations, the Butler 2 Fire advanced very little over night on the western side. Cool temperatures and decreased winds caused much of the fire to lay down. Despite this, the fire has continued to make runs in a few favorable spots, especially on the eastern flank and near Gray's Peak. The first helicopters lifted off from Big Bear Airport en route to the fire around 8:15 am.

The Butler 2 Fire was 12% contained and consumed 15,433 acres as of 7 am Sunday, according to the California Department of Forestry.

"Hanna Flats Campground has been destroyed," said San Bernardino County Fire Public Information Officer Jim Wilkins Saturday night. "One outbuilding at the YMCA Camp Whittle was also destroyed. However, the camps were saved." The fire was burning in heavy, fifty to one hundred year old fuels.

Butler Fire Map (Photo by Dave Henderson.)